Thread: New member

Ahhhhhhh Cisssssssssssssscoo

Plenty here will help out but in the meantime try the search. Your questions have been asked before so just try a few key words and see what comes up.

I'd be looking at the MC-900 clones if I were you. I believe they're about US$400... but you also need to look at the "extra expenses."

Tools, grinder and suitable wheel, a good scroll-chuck, safety gear... they all add up.

Welcome to the forum, BTW.

Grinder and wheel especially. You must learn to sharpen your tools, or you'll be disappointed.

I lived in Arlington/Falls Church area for many years in my younger days. There's a woodturners club not too far from you. Meets in Alexandria:

http://www.capwoodturners.org

Check the AAW web site for other clubs in VA.
[(https://www.woodturner.org/ - Boink AAW local chapters)]

Woodturners are some of the most cordial folks you can get to know. A very valuable source of know-how and inspiration. (Just like here.)

Joe

Hey Ciscokid - welcome.
As said, try the search function - a great aid to finding loads of info.

Remember to share some pictures of your work when you get turning.

[

Now the problem - I don't have a lathe. Can one or more of you please recommend to me a nice lathe that will turn something as small as a pen, can turn a 10" or so diameter bowl and can do a table leg at least 22" long? I'd like to keep it under $500 if possible, but am prepared to go higher so as not to buy a piece of garbage.

Cisco,

Welcome, but you may find that the price of the lathe is the smallest cost over time.
You will need some HSS turning tools:
http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/catalog/tools.html
This will give an idea, but you might want too look over a few tutorials first.
http://www.woodturningonline.com/Tur...es.html#design
http://www.fholder.com/Woodturning/woodturn.htm
http://www.woodezine.com/archives.html#Features
http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/fp.../fplgtr113.htm

and as already mentioned a grinder and some knowledge of whats involved in sharpening your tools
http://www.woodcentral.com/newforum/grinds.shtml

But as Joe has already mentioned get along to your local wood turners club or chapter. They will have all the local knowledge on where to go for the best buys and have heaps of advise to offer.

Be warned its addictive stuff this wood turning

Welcome to a fellow Yank ( tho maybe a Virginian might object to that title). You will find folks here among the most helpful. Feel free to ask anything and to share your work for comments. You will also learn some really neat Austrailian terms and slang. Before I joined, I had no idea what a "piccy" was or how to make "Crissy pressies", and now I understand these Ozian terms. You too will become enlightened, grasshopper!.

(Pancho) 'OK Cisco, lez went'

Welcome mate. There's others on this board who'll give you good advice on which lathe is best. What I can say is you're opening an enjoyable can of worms with the sharpening of your tools. Its a nice little study in itself.

i own a "dinalink" china made ,well thay call it a lathe , avoid bying any thing with hollow tubes for the bed and tin foil for head stock ,

roughing out a bowl last night was just geaf not fun ,it jumped out the chuck 3 times before i spat it will try to fix it , at the moment ive got the thing apart and about to mount a lazer pointer in the chuck to see if i can get the chuck to point toward the tail stop (about 10deg off at the moment ) will have to file out the bearing mounts and bolt it back true ,
strange that the tail stop and chuck meet purfectly ,there just not in the same line

might bye my self a woodfast lathe for xmas ( australian made ? i think there made in china now , but what isnt)

G'Day Cisco

Welcome aboard, if you have questions these are the boys to answer them. Certainly helped me a lot.

Cheers
Bernie

welcome aboard, these are the nicest people you'll ever meet and between them have made every thing and know every thing

Matt

Welcome aboard.
I agree with Skews comment. A MC 900 or MC1100 clone are good starts. Not too expensive and solid enough to get you going.

g'day and welcome Cisco. This mob here are damn good fellers who will bend over backwards to help - though i am not sure how that would help unless it was some sort of Tantric-Yoga position.

Another thing you might consider is buying a used lathe, falling deeply in love with woodturning and then buying a Oneway lathe.

Originally Posted by Doc Ron

Welcome to a fellow Yank ( tho maybe a Virginian might object to that title). You will find folks here among the most helpful. Feel free to ask anything and to share your work for comments. You will also learn some really neat Austrailian terms and slang. Before I joined, I had no idea what a "piccy" was or how to make "Crissy pressies", and now I understand these Ozian terms. You too will become enlightened, grasshopper!.

Hey Ron we talk normal. the rest of the board will agree with me. It not our fault you foreigner don't understand good english
No serious welcome Turning is common ground. we can all talk that language
Toni

Yes, welcome.

We do speak English here but in MS Word you have to select English (Australian) otherwise the auto grammar and spell checking will give your more red lines than a May Day parade ;-}

Hughie's second link has a link to Brian Clifford's Intro to Woodturning which IMO is a beaut site. Backup to his homepage and you'll find lots more goodies.

The Siegal pieces are also worth a read. I especially liked his aphorism: the satisfaction of woodturning is directly proportional to the mass of the lathe.

And yep Ptc, the big lump of Silver Birch is still in the spalting stage, tho it's hard to keep it damp with a 37 degree day, an orange sun and bushfire smoke enveloping the city.

(By luck I survived the '83 fires; I'm glad to be living in Melb today, but my heart goes out to all the folk living in the NE.)